Adventure Travel Magazine Contributor Guidelines
These guideline notes are designed to make the submission process for magazine features easier for you and for us. Please note that the requirements for the print magazine and this website are different. If you have an idea you’d like to submit for publication on the website please email
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with a brief outline of the subject matter.
First off
You can greatly increase your chance of publication by reading these guidelines carefully and taking the time to read the magazine and get a feel for it.
When we agree a fee for your work, the price paid is for multiple usage. Which means: if we use the feature, or a section of the feature, on more than one occasion in a future issue(s) of Adventure Travel or on our website, no further fee is due. In practice it’s highly unlikely that we would ever use the feature (or part of) again in print, although it’s possible we may use the feature, or more likely, a part thereof to promote the relevant issue on our website.
Do not submit an incomplete destination feature. Always include a fact section, photos with captions, a line map indicating route/location and an author profile.
We reserve the right to edit all submissions and include photographs from a third party.
NB Any postal submissions, including slides/transparencies, that are to be returned after use/consideration must be accompanied by a S.A.E. We will only return material if this is the case.
Whilst we take great care with all submissions and material, Adventure Travel cannot be held responsible for the loss or damage of any material submitted, whether sent on spec or commissioned. Any submissions are made at your own risk, and in acceptance of these terms. If the material is irreplaceable, we suggest you have duplicates made.
The basic rule
It doesn’t matter how good your story is, if it doesn’t fit into our editorial vision it isn’t going to be published. So….make sure you’ve read at least one up to date copy of Adventure Travel Magazine to get a feel for our style and content. We really can tell who has and who hasn’t and it wastes more of your time than ours.
What are we looking for?
Adventure Travel core destination features cover active outdoor travel and in particular trekking and mountaineering. Articles on train journeys, wine tasting or dancing with elephants in Antarctica all have their place, but it isn’t in Adventure Travel unless you’ve hiked 300 miles to get to the train station/vineyard or carried the elephant in a rucksack for that long awaited tango.
Our definition of trekking is quite broad and ranges from three day backpacking trips right up to serious multi-day or multi-week wilderness expeditions.
We’re just as interested in classic ‘must do’ routes like the Inca Trail or Kilimanjaro as in more obscure expeditions. Though it has to be said, a fresh angle and new perspective is even more critical on these routes.
We also run inspirational pieces on mountaineering generally, but not always, drawing the line at trekking peaks. Something like Aconcagua, a high, serious undertaking, involving genuine risk, serious determination and great fitness, but not a highly technical climb. That said, we do publish the occasional extreme feature.
Regular coverage of Via ferrata routes is high on the Adventure Travel magazine priority list as are multi activity outdoor destinations (I.e. Chamonix, Interlaken) and new and audacious hiking routes.
In addition to trekking and mountaineering, we do run regular cycling related features, covering adventurous cycle touring or mountain biking. Touring features should be about self supported journeys in out of the way destinations. Mountain biking features should ideally be multi-day technical or non-technical off road rides, preferably linear in nature, rather than based around a central point of origin.
We do publish the occasional feature covering kayaking and sea kayaking, canoeing, technical climbing, adventurous trail running or adventure racing and sometimes the more extreme adventure sports, but unless the submission is of an exceptional standard, it has less chance of publication than the other topics mentioned. We are also interested in winter sports features
If in doubt, please drop us an email to ask if we’ve already covered something. It's also worth noting that we cover a wider range of features on this website, so a subject that might not be right for the magazine could be just fine for the web
A Feature is made up of a number of parts
*Travelogue
A first person story based on your observations and experiences of approximately 1500-2000 words. Stay away from ‘on day one we did this, day two we did that’. It rarely reads well and is usually of limited interest.
*Information fact file
Approx 1000 words of the hard facts to help the reader follow in your footsteps. Use a current issue of Adventure Travel as a guideline for what is expected, and please do not submit a feature without a completed information section.
*Images
You stand a far better chance of being published if you have high quality, high resolution digital images to accompany your feature. Slides/transparencies are also acceptable. We rarely if ever use prints.
A general rule of thumb for digital images is that the more megapixels your camera has the better. As a rough benchmark, useable image files start at around the 1MB size in jpg format, a double page spread is around 4MB size in jpg format. This means we can work with an image file from a 6 mega pixel camera but 10 mega pixels or over give you a better chance of publication.
Please supply a selection of around 20-30 images on cd/dvd, accompanied by a print out of numbered colour thumbnails of the images, complete with captions underneath each. Don’t just send in scenic views. We prefer to see you, your companions and the locals. People bring life, movement and colour to photographs.
If possible, we want them to show action, humour (i.e the antics of your fellow trekkers), people you met, where you stayed, and don’t forget to include some panoramas and stunning landscapes….preferably with people in them. We’re asking a lot here, we know, but photos tell the story as much as the words and a combination of good photos and text make a great feature.
*Author profile and head and shoulders image.
In 70 words tell us and the readers who you are, what you do in your day to day life and what sort of outdoor/travel experience and/or qualifications you have.
*Maps
If possible, please submit the definitive maps of the region- we will return them – along with a hand drawn map of the route you took.
What is the Adventure Travel style?
What we’re looking for is an accessible, easy to read conversational style, a bit like talking to your mates down at the pub.
We’d rather you wrote in your own style than try to emulate some of the clichéd drivel that passes as ‘travel writing’. Above all, keep it natural. If you can’t imagine someone saying what you’ve written, then it’s probably wrong for Adventure Travel.
Getting hold of a copy of Adventure Travel Magazine
We cannot emphasise strongly enough the importance of looking at least one up to date copy of Adventure Travel Magazine.
To obtain the current issue, the easiest route is to buy online here or send a cheque for £5 (incl. postage) to Adventure Travel, 4 Estate Office Yard, Atherstone on Stour, Stratford Upon Avon, Warks CV37 8NB, UK
What to do now
Either
Write (to the above address), fax (+44 1789 459046) or email (rosie@atmagazine.co.uk) with a synopsis, first couple of paragraphs and sample low (ish) res images. If we like your idea and ask to see a full feature it does not mean you have a commission. We only give definite commissions to contributors who write for Adventure Travel on a regular basis and whose style we know and like.
Or
Send in your feature on spec. Please do not fax full features. Remember to include a completed fact file, map, images, captions and author profile. AND remember to follow the guidelines.
Please allow up to 4 weeks for a reply.
Please remember – some basic stuff
*It’s always a good idea to read the article aloud to yourself and get a friend to read it too. This can help you notice sections that don’t sound (and don’t read) right.
*Always type or word process your article- hand written submissions will not be read. Digital submissions, either on disc or via email, in Microsoft Word are preferred.
*Indicate if the feature or visuals have been published in or offered to other publications.
*Do not use an over stylised font, stick to Times or Helvetica.
*Do not indent paragraphs or leave extra spaces.
*Do not underline or use quote marks for emphasis- use italics.
*Numbers one to nine are spelled out, 10 upwards are in figures. Numbers rather than figures for all times or prices.
*Quotes- we always use single quotes, except for quotes within quotes.
*Always use a spell checker and be consistent in use of spellings.
*Prices in local currency first, in the form EUR1.40 etc. The euro should be written EUR.
*Overseas phone numbers should always include the international dialling prefix.
*Imperial or metric units- never mix them in the same piece. Stay consistent.
*Foreign language accents should not be applied to main text, as they do not translate well through our software. Please supply a list of accents that should be used, at the top of the text eg: ACCENTS REQUIRED: Umlaut over u of Kitzbuhel, acute accent over e of cliche.
Please avoid – more basic stuff
*Off subject submissions.
*Incomplete submissions.
*Cliches – i.e ‘well worth a visit’, ‘words cannot describe’, ‘nothing can prepare you for’ etc etc
*If you’re a tour leader, or submitting an account of a commercial tour or expedition, please do not use the feature as an advertorial. We will always take out gratuitous references to the company from within the text.
Money – probably the most important stuff
Rates are negotiable, depending on quality of images and text, but always based on a words and pictures package.
Payment is 60 days from date of publication of the issue carrying the feature, on production of an invoice.
The fee is for multiple usage, as outlined earlier.
Good Luck
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